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Public transport mobile app for people on the autism spectrum

Help us to pilot this new public transport mobile app for people on the autism spectrum

A team of Autism CRC researchers have developed a mobile app that facilitates public transport use for people on the autism spectrum. The app provides all the functions of a public transport app to help you plan and manage your trips on buses, trains and ferries, plus it gives you access to step-by-step assistance and tools to help you manage any anxiety and sensory overload you might experience when you’re using public transport.

We now need your help to test the app, to ensure it addresses the needs of people on the autism spectrum.

Why should I help?

The findings of this study will be used to improve the app, to help make public transport more accessible and less stressful for people on the autism spectrum.

Who can take part?

You are invited to take part in this study if you are:

on the autism spectrum; and

aged between 18-30 years old; and

live or travel in the greater Sydney metropolitan area; and

you own an iOS iPhone device, and

willing to travel on public transport and use the OrienTrip app for a period of 3 to 6 weeks for the study.

Who is conducting this study?

This study is funded by the Autism Cooperative Research Centre and is being conducted by a team of researchers from Curtin University, Western Sydney University and Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect).

What will I be asked to do?

We need your help to test the app. You will download and use the app on your iOS device to plan, track, and manage your public transport journeys for a period of 3 to 6 weeks. At the end of the study period you will be asked to complete a brief questionnaire reflecting on your experience with the app and public transport.

We will also invite you to take part in an optional interview with a member of the research team to find out more about your experience using OrienTrip. This interview will be scheduled at a time that suits you, and can be done either in person at a location that suits you, or online by Facetime or a meeting app such as Zoom. An interview will take between 20 and 60 minutes, depending on how much information you wish to share with the researcher.

When is the pilot happening?

The testing, survey and interviews will be conducted between July and November 2018.

For more information

The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) is the world's first national cooperative research centre focused on autism. We are taking a whole-of-life approach to autism focusing on diagnosis, education and adult life.